Valve control mechanism for pumping systems



A. MOORE April 16, 1957 VALVE CONTROL MECHANISM FOR PUMPING SYSTEMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 1, 1954 mvzm on Habrey Moore M lail ATTORNEYS 2 Sheets-Shed 2 IE BI April 16, 1957 A. MOORE VALVE CONTROL MECHANISM FOR PUMPING SYSTEMS Filed June 1, 1954 ATTORNEYS United States Patent VALVE CONTROL MECHANISM FOR PUMPDIG SYSTEMS Aubrey Moore, Stockton, Calif.

' Application June 1, 1954, Serial No. 433,474

8 Claims. (Cl. 137-455) The present invention relates to large or heavy duty pumping systems, of the type which includes a centrifugal pump, an electric motor driving the pump to force the pumped water upwardly, and a gate or similar valve in the discharge pipe of the system beyond but close to the pump.

These valves are intended to be opened and closed at the start and finish respectively of a pumping operation, and in a large installation are slow to operate by hand, and require considerable exertion on the part of the operator.

It is therefore one of the objects of this invention to provide manually controlled means between the valve and the motor, operable at the will of the operator, by means of which the power of the motor when running may be utilized to open and close the valve and no physical effort by the operator, other than the easy manipulation of a single lever, is necessary.

It sometimes happens that the current to the motor fails while a pumping operation is in progress and the valve is still open, allowing the pumped water to reverse its flow and drain back through the valve and pump, which is of course an undesirable result. Such reversal of flow, acting on the pump-impeller vanes, reverses the direction of rotation of the impeller, and of the idle motor conuected to said impeller.

A further and highly important object of this invention is to provide means between the motor and valve whereby the valve will be moved to a nearly closed position by this reverse rotation of the motor, so that at least the major draining-back of the water is halted, and a possible large loss of the already pumped water, before the current failure is realized and the valve fully closed by hand, is prevented. At the same time, no attendant need be present to assure the functioning of the above feature.

it is also an object of the invention to provide a valve control mechanism for pumping systems which is of simple but rugged structure and one which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a practical and reliable valve control mechanism for pumping systems which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, somewhat diagrammatic and partly broken away and in section, of a pumping installation equipped with my improved valve controlling mechanism, the latter being shown in a neutral position.

Fig. 2 is a similar fragmentary view, showing the valve control mechanism as being actuated to close the valve by reason of a power failure to the motor.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross section on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing and to the characters of reference marked thereon, the Pump operating motor 1 is mounted on a suitable base 2 and is directly coupled as at 3 to a conventional centrifugal pump 4 having an intake pipe 5 and an outlet or discharge pipe 6 in which a gate valve 7 is interposed close to the pump. The valve includes the usual rotary operating stem 8 which in this case extends upwardly.

Beyond the end of the motor opposite the pump, an upstanding shaft 9, parallel to the valve stem 8 and in axially intersecting relation to the adjacent portion 10 of the motor shaft, is disposed. This shaft 9 is slidably and turnably journaled adjacent is upper end in a bearing 11 mounted on an upstanding frame 12 supported from base 2. At its lower end, shaft 9 is slidable in a socket sleeve 13 upstanding from base 2. A spring 14 in the sleeve below the shaft 9 (see Fig. 2) supports the weight of said shaft and parts attached thereto; the spring at its lower end resting on the upper end of a vertically adjustable screw unit 15 so as to yieldably maintain the shaft in a predetermined normal position.

The motor shaft 10 at its outer end has a drive roller 16 fixed thereon, which projects in normally clearance relation between an upper driving disc 17 and a lower driving disc 18, both secured as a unit on the shaft 9 to rotate and move vertically therewith.

Fixed on said shaft 9 at its upper end above bearing 11 is a double disc unit 19 between the spaced discs 20, of which a roller-mounted shifting fork 21 projects, this fork being pivoted as at 22 on frame 12 and having a generally horizontal operating lever 23 connected thereto and extending in a direction over the motor 1.

Separate from but axially alined with and above shaft 9 is another shaft 24, journaled against axial movement in spaced bearings 25 mounted on frame 12. At its lower end, shaft 24 carries a disc 26 coupled to the upper disc 20 of unit 19 for relative vertical movement, but for rotation therewith as a unit, by means of pins 27 projecting upwardly from said disc 20 and slidable through sleeves 28 fixed in said disc 26. At its upper end, shaft 24 carries a pulley 29, horizontally alined with a pulley 30 on the valve stem 8, which pulley 30 is journaled as at 31 against axial movement in a member 32 supported from an extension of frame 12. I The hub 33 of pulley 30 is threaded on the adjacent threaded portion 34 of stem 8, so that upon rotation of the pulley in one direction or the other, the valve stem will be raised or lowered to respectively open or close the valve 7. A belt 35 couples pulleys 29 and 30.

By reason of the above described arrangement, it will be seen that upon vertical swinging of lever 23 in one direction or the other, fork 21 will be actuated to raise or lower shaft 9, causing the roller 16 to friction-ally engage and drive one or the other of the discs 17 and 18. Such engagement will cause shaft 9 to be rotated, rotating the upper shaft 24 also by reason of the coupling device therebetween, and thus rotating .the pulley 29. This of course will impart rotation to pulley 30 by reason of the belt 35, rotating and raising or lowering the valve stem 8, depending on which of the discs 17 and 18 is engaged by the motor driven roller 16. The motor, when current driven, rotates in such a direction that downward movement of lever 23, and the accompanying upward movement of shaft 9 and engagement of disc .18 with roller 16, will effect an opening movement of the valve, while an upward movement of said lever, and the accompanying downward movement of shaft 9 and engagement of disc 17 with said roller 16, will effect a closing movement of the valve.

When the direction of rotation of the motor is reversed, as when water is back-flowing through the pump and the motor is idle or deenergized, engagement of disc 18 with roller 16 will cause the shaft 9 to :be rotated in a y direction to effect a closing movement of the valve, and

. plunger.

both lateral and vertical swinging movement, in a mount 37 connected to the adjacent portion of frame 12, or to the base 2 as may be desired; At its other end,'which is beyond the roller 16, the arm is normally engaged under a stop 38 mounted on frame 12, and which stop is preferably a roller' for ready disengagement from the arm when the latter is urged outwardly. A. flexible element such as a cable 39 upstands from arm 36 intermediate its ends and passes over a pulley 40 mounted on frame 12 some dis .t'ance above and in overhanging relation to lever 23.

Cable 39, on the end which depends from the pulley 49; carries a weight 4-1 directly above but normally clear of the lever 23, and of sufiicient size that when resting without restraint on the lever, it will be effective to lower the same so as to cause frictional driving engagement between therolleri 16 and disc 18. r

The arm 35 is released from the stop 33, so diat'the weight may lower into engagement with the lever, upon the motor turning in a reverse direction only, by means of the device shown particularly in Fig. 3. This device comprises a plunger 42 disposed behind arm 36 and extending laterally away therefrom in the direction of the motor shaft 1% and located in a plane between the motor 7 and roller 16. The plunger is slidably mounted in a bearing block 3 mounted on base 2, and a 'spiiingd acts on a disc as on one side thereof, and which disc is secured on shaft in between the roller 16 and the motor. The pawl is self balancing, and can swing between stops 7' 49 fixed on disc 48; The nose or projecting roller-engaging end 50 of the pawl is arrangedjwith the stops 49 so that when the motor is turning in its normal driving 7 direction, said nose will merely yield and pass the roller 46 without imparting any advancingrmovementto the When, however, the motor is turning in a 'reverse direction, the pawl nose when engaging roller 46, is held rigid by one of the steps 49, and in passing by said roller, imparts an advancing movement to the plunger.

Such movement is suificicnt to cause the lever to push arm 36 laterally out and clear of the stop 38. This allows ate said stem in a valve opening and closing direction by the weight 41 to act on the lever 23 as previously described, and the resultant valve closing action, as long as the motor continues to rotate in a reverse direction, is thus effected.

:To reset the device fora subsequent operation after the motor has stopped turning in said reverse direction, it is only necessary for the operator't'o press down on the arm 36 and jreengage the same with the stop 38; this movement of the arm, of course, lifting the weight clear of the lever. Said lever, together withrthe discs 17 and 18 controlledthereby, then return of themselves to their normal neutral position, due .to the balancing action of spring 14. r

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen 7 that there has been produced a valve control mechanism from suchdetail maybe resorted. to as do not form a" departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

the power generated by said unit, and manually operable means to place the mechanism in operation. 7

2. In a pumping system which includes a pump having an intake pipe and a discharge pipe, a power unit to drive the pump, and a valve in the .discharge pipe and' including an exposed movable operating stem the move- I ment of which in opposite directions effects opening and j closing of the valve, a shaft unit mounted in a fixed position parallel to the stem, means connectingthe shaft unit and stem for simultaneous movement, the power, unit including a rotatable shaft, the shaft unit comprising alined upper and lower shaft sections, means connecting the upper shaft section. and stem for'movement simultaneously, means journaling the upper section against axial movement, means journaling th'elower section for axial movement, means between the lower sec- 7 7 tion and the rotatable shaft to cause the lower section to be rotated in opposite directions selectively upon rotation of said rotatable shaft in one direction, and means coupling the sections of the .shaft unit for simultaneous rotation while allowing of axial movement of 'the. lower 7 section relative to the upper section. V

3. In a pumping system which includes a pump having intake and discharge pipes, an electric motor connected to the pump to drive the same, and a valve in the discharge pipe having a movable operating stem; manually controlled motor actuated means to move said stem in a valve closing direction upon rotation ofthe motor by electric current, -and means included in part with the first named means and operable upon a reverse rotation of the motor by a back flow of pressure through the pump when the motoris deenergized to also move the stem in avalve closing direction. r f f 4. In a pumping system which includes a pump having intake and discharge pipes, an electric motor connected to the pump to drive the same, and a valve in the discharge .pipe having a movable operatingstem; amechanism between the motor and stem to actuate the latter in a valve closing direction upon rotation of the motor I in a reverse direction, and means between the motor and said mechanism to place the latter in operation upon the motor thus rotating in a reverse direction.

5. In a pumping system which includes a pump having intake and discharge pipes, an electric motor connected to the pump to drive the same, and a valve in the dis-.

nism including a rotatable'shaft .unit operatively connected to the valve stem to move the same, said unit including an axially shiftable section, a drive roller on the motor shaft, a disc on said shiftable section normally clear of but engageable with the roller upon axial shifting of said section in one direction, means including a horizontal lever to shift the section in such direction upon downward 3 movement of the lever, and means actuated by the motor upon reverse rotation thereof to thus lower the lever. v

6. In a pumping system which includes a pump having intake and discharge pipes, .an electricmotorconnected V to the pump to drive the same, anda valve in the discharge pipe having a movable operating'st'em; a nor: mally idle mechanism arranged to be motor'actuated to move the stem in {a valve closing direction upon rotation of the motor in a reverse direction, a generally horizontal lever connected to the mechanism and arranged when lowered to place the mechanism in operation, and means actuated upon reverse rotation of the motor to thus lower the lever.

7. A structure as in claim 6, in which said means comprises a substantially horizontal arm extending lengthwise of the motor to one side of the same, means flexibly mounting the arm at one end for lateral and vertical swinging movement, a stop normally engaging the arm to prevent outward lateral and upward swinging movement thereof, a weight above and supported from the arm in overhanging and normally clearance relation to the lever in position to drop on and lower the lever upon the arm being released from the stop and free to swing up, and means actuated by reverse rotation of the motor to shift the arm laterally out clear of the stop, to thus allow the arm to swing up by the pull of the weight thereon and allow such weight to lower onto and press down on the lever.

8. A structure as in claim 7, in which the last named means comprises a plunger slidably mounted laterally inward from and at a substantially right angle to and in line with and having its outer end adjacent the arm when the latter is stop-engaged so as to shift the arm laterally out upon advance of the plunger, a member fixed on the motor shaft adjacent the plunger, a pawl on the member in position to engage the inner end of the plunger, and means mounting the pawl on the memher so as to cause the pawl to engage and advance the plunger only when the motor shaft is rotating in a reverse direct-ion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,231,613! James July 3, 1917 1,863,406 Hudson June 14, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS 15,903 France of 1912 

